Last year, I was whining a lot about travel and meetings. I wanted to stay home, take a backseat for a while, enjoy doing absolutely nothing.

Never in my wildest imagination had I thought that such a day would arrive. Now I miss being outdoors, checking out the latest tech that the world has, and of course talking to people face to face, and sharing experiences with my audience.

Luckily, technology make our survival a little easier. With 21st century technology at our disposal, it’s just so easy now to operate from home. And for those who think productivity is on the low working from home, well, I see it at an all-time high.

I can’t imagine living without my smartphone – all those long video calls, playing games or virtual meetings that have become essentials during the lockdown.

With my Galaxy S20 Plus, I spend hours away from work, playing multiplayer games with fellow journalists. That’s part of my new normal now, almost a daily routine!

Technology is what helped me conceive and start a new series where I conduct interviews with Galaxy S20 Plus of thought leaders across industries. I found the camera of the smartphone very easy to work with, and the results, of course, have been stunning.

The other aspect of this current situation for me was finding a sport that doesn’t involve too many people, and has social distancing built in. That sport was badminton. I am currently at the noob level, but I see myself getting better at it, thanks to all the online pro-level coaching I can get right on my smartphone.

So, as Earth reboots, and we move towards a technological evolution, our smartphones have become an inseparable appendage. They’ve helped us stay relevant, connected, productive, entertaining as well as be a life coach, all in one.

Hoping to see the outdoors again without restriction, and yes, if anyone is interested in a game of Badminton in the world of a new normal, you know where to find me!

[Siddhartha Sharma popularly known as SidnChips, is a Consulting Editor for Technology and Automobiles at Jagran New Media. He wrote this piece at the request of Samsung Newsroom India]

I’ve followed this saying over the last 57 days when we were locked inside our homes, with loads of time at hand.

My job requires me to spot interesting stories, shoot stuff and then go through multiple rounds of edits, before I can put it up on my channel.

Now, without the services of a dedicated camera person, I was at a loss through this period, and that is when I decided to turn this adversity into an opportunity. An opportunity to acquire a new skill.

Much to the chagrin of my videographer friend, I decided to don the role of the cameraperson, but the mighty DSLR isn’t easy to navigate. The ISO settings and ‘f’ values look like algebra to me.

That’s when the Galaxy S20+ came to the rescue.

Abhishek Telang: I decided to don the role of a cameraperson

Smartphones are handy, easy to use and you can download plenty of apps which are very helpful for ‘not so talented’ novices like me. And then, to make a good video or a vlog using a smartphone, all you need is a tripod, that’s it.

The smartphone’s features and the dozens of built-in AI tricks take care of everything else. No stress of figuring out the ISO or aperture settings. The auto setting on the camera app takes care of pretty much every other detail. What I loved most about the Galaxy S20+ is the almost magical audio recording.

The phone allows me to shoot videos in 4K resolution, and sometimes even in 8K, giving content creators like me a lot of freedom to experiment.

Through this lockdown, I have created 70 videos for my YouTube Channel, using my Galaxy S20+. The total DSLR videos I have shot so far are 21!

In fact there is one more video that I am already working on, about my latest hobby, of making kulfi at home. When Samsung Newsroom India first spoke to me to write the article, I planned to make a video about how to make kulfi at home in my Samsung refrigerator, but I gave up that idea as it became difficult to procure all the right ingredients to make the perfect kulfi for this summer, with all the right flavours. I promise to come back with my video on my kulfi making attempt soon. And I will use the Galaxy again.

I know my cameraperson friend isn’t going to like this. Sorry buddy, I have found new love, in my ‘cameraphone’. And I just can’t get over it right now.

[Abhishek Telang is a former Tech Editor turned YouTuber who has been covering technology since 2007. He wrote this piece at the request of Samsung Newsroom India]

The Galaxy S20’s groundbreaking camera is built on the Galaxy S series’ legacy of innovations. The flagship series has been pushing the boundaries of mobile camera capabilities right from the start, bringing technological breakthroughs to everyone.

Check out the infographic below to learn more

India celebrates the festival to welcome the arrival of Spring and the start of a good harvest season. Customs and celebrations vary across regions in India.

Holi is of particular significance in areas traditionally associated with Lord Krishna. One such region is Vrindavan in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

Tech journalist Abhishek Telang and filmmaker Amber Sharma explored the town of Vrindavan and participated in the unique celebration of the festival.

Take a look at the vibrant colours captured by them on Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus

Samsung Newsroom India wishes you all a Happy Holi and a colourful year.

(Picture Credit: Abhishek Telang, Journalist and Amber Sharma, Filmmaker)